Word of the Day
by Erava
Summary: A series of Kingdom Hearts/Final Fantasy VII drabbles, each based on the word of the day 3 days previous to the post. ON INDEFINITE HIATUS.
1. Fiduciary

So, I thought one day, "I need some kind of prompt if I'm actually going to write something." Then, as I was thumbing through the glossary of my Health textbook, I thought, "Maybe I should flip through the dictionary and write a drabble of sorts with the first word I see?" Then, I thought, "How about I use the word of the day from ?" So, that's exactly what I'm going to do. And since Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII are my absolute favorite things in the world, that's what I will write about. Ratings and pairings differ from drabble to drabble, and they will be listed, along with any warnings, at the beginning of each one. I will _try_ to have it up to date, but it'll be a 2-day delay kinda thing. As in, the word for 7/15 will come out on 7/17. This gives you all a chance to see what's coming next! So, I give you the word of July 15th!

Note: I will be away from a computer from 7/19 – 7/29 and from 8/6 – 8/10. If you just _really, really_ want the words for one of those days, PM me or leave a review.

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**fiduciary** \fih-DOO-shee-air-ee\, _adjective_:  
**1.** Relating to the holding of something in trust for another.

_noun_:  
**1.** Someone who stands in a special relation of trust, confidence, or responsibility in certain obligations to others; a trustee.

* * *

**Rating: **T/PG13

**Pairing: **Xemnas x Saix

**Word Count: **425

**Warnings: **A weird boss/worker friends(ish) with benefits relationship. No more than kissing though, seeing as I've never written an actual lemon (I will get to it though!) No spoilers, unless you know absolutely nothing about Kingdom Hearts.

**Summary: **Saix is Xemnas' most trusted Nobody for a reason.

**Dedication: **This is for Kadoku, one of my best friends in the UNIVERSE (even if she doesn't return the sentiment). She was, at one point, known as Saix in our little circle of friends. Why? Ask her why. Anyway, I love you, I love you, I love you, and I hope this makes up for me not calling to tease you on Mansex/Saix day! XD

* * *

"How was your trip, Superior?" The Luna Diviner stepped into the small room, furnished with only a chair and a desk, both positioned in the darkest spot possible in such a bright castle. Their great leader insisted it was a "study", but seeing as he only went in there to brood and angst, the younger members had taken to calling it his "emo corner".

"Not as well as expected. The boy is strong. We may have some trouble luring him to Castle Oblivion. I shall have to comprise a report for XI and XII assessing his abilities." Xemnas sat up as regally as he could while still appearing to huddle in the corner. "And your day, Saix?"

He took the cue to change from formal to casual. "It was rather uneventful. You got your ass kicked, didn't you." It wasn't a question.

Were he anyone else, the Superior may have flinched at the unusual bluntness of the Diviner's statement. But, being the leader of the Organization, he merely stood and beckoned the neophyte to his side. This man was his most trusted Nobody for a reason. Xemnas knew exactly how to persuade him to stay quiet.

Saix crossed the room slowly, coming to a stop a few feet in front of his leader. Slowly, very slowly, a hand gripped the front of his cloak and pulled him closer, until barely an inch separated their faces. They stared unblinkingly into each other's eyes, each daring the other to make the first move, before simultaneously crashing their lips together.

There was nothing slow or gentle about the kiss. It was hungry, demanding, passionate. Tongues collided and battled furiously for dominance, neither managing to defeat the other. Each explored the other's mouth fully, and when they pulled apart, gasping for breath, there was pure lust gleaming in both sets of eyes.

"This stays between us, VII," Xemnas spoke evenly.

Saix smirked, but the expression was marred somewhat by the flush that spread across his cheeks and the deep breaths he still heaved. "Only if…we continue this…encounter later…Superior."

The leader mirrored his underling's smirk. "My room," he whispered sensually, before disappearing into a dark corridor, leaving a breathless Diviner behind. Yes, he could trust Saix with anything, to tell him the truth no matter the question, to keep a secret no matter the threat, to finish a job no matter the danger. Xemnas held the man in the palm of his hand because he knew exactly what was needed to motivate him, and he used that to every advantage.


	2. Mephitic

Ok, people, true to my word, here's the next installment of Word of the Day! I really hope people liked the first one, though I wouldn't know, since I have to write these before I get a chance to get reviews…Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Mephitic** \muh-FIT-ik\, _adjective_:  
**1.** Offensive to the smell; as, mephitic odors.  
**2.** Poisonous; noxious.

* * *

**Rating: **T-ish…

**Pairing: **Sephiroth x Zack

**Word Count: **394

**Warnings: **Naughty words and Zack running around stark naked.

**Summary: **Sephiroth should never attempt uke-ish things like cooking.

**Dedication: **This is for anyone that read the first chapter and didn't think it was total crap! I love you all and hope you enjoy this one!

**Disclaimer: **NO, I DON'T OWN THEM, SO STOP RUBBING IT IN, YOU BASTARDS! TTTT

* * *

Zack Fair, SOLDIER First Class, jolted out of bed. Was that…burning?

Yes, that was definitely smoke. Wait, was that...burning _plastic_? That was poisonous, right? Who the hell was burning plastic?

He glanced at the calendar. Today was Thursday, which meant that Cloud had a day of training, which meant that Cloud didn't cook breakfast, which meant…

Oh SHIT…

Zack all but sprinted toward the dining area in their suite of rooms, not even bothering to throw some clothes on. When he reached the doorway of the kitchen, he skidded to a stop and put a hand over his mouth and nose, hacking several times. The smoke was beginning to blacken. He walked through the kitchen, one hand trying to filter his breathing, the other trying to clear the smoke in front of him, both unsuccessful. When he reached the far end of the kitchen, he groped about blindly until his hand found a firm shoulder.

"Fuck, Seph, what'd you do this time?" Zack wheezed between coughs.

The General held a Fire materia in one hand and what looked like a flaming plate in the other. He frowned bemusedly. "I don't understand. I reasoned that if the cookies bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, they ought to bake for only 2 minutes at 3500 degrees. Unfortunately, the oven doesn't have that high of a setting, so I used magic. It should have worked, but the cookie sheet merely caught flame."

During this explanation, Zack had found the fire extinguisher and now sprayed the cold foam at the source of the fire, getting the stuff all over Sephiroth in the process. After the smoke cleared enough to assess the damage, Zack sighed and put on his "bad Sephy" look.

"Look, Seph, math and logic don't really work on cooking. I know, it usually works on everything else, but with baking cookies, you just gotta follow the directions they give you."

Sephiroth set down the charred cookie sheet. If it were anyone else, the expression he wore now could be called pouting. "It was sound logic," he mumbled, examining the near disintegrated remains of his baking attempt.

Zack grinned and grabbed his lover's hand. "Let's go grab some eggs and bacon, 'kay?"

And then, Sephiroth went General-mode on his SOLDIER. "As much as I appreciate the view, if we're going out, you're putting some clothes on."


	3. Philter

HAHAHA, I'm back, and _this _is Cloud's birthday fic! (I think it's more of a whole one-shot than it is a drabble, but it's a special occasion, so whatever. Really, the only reason it's posted here is because it's based off the word of the day. It's also posted separately, and on my LiveJournal, but that doesn't matter too much, does it?) So, so sorry for the delay! A combination of writer's block, two back to back vacations, the upcoming school year, and my muse, who happens to go by the name of Vincent Valentine, being very, very, VERY uncooperative. So sorry!

Anyhow, here's your chapter, hope it brings you joy and pudding! Note that pudding will fully restore both HP and MP, as well as cure any status ailments.

* * *

**Philter** \FIL-tur\, _noun_:  
**1.** a potion or charm supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love.  
**2.** A potion or charm believed to have magic power.

_Transitive verb_:  
**1.** to enchant or bewitch with or as if with a magic potion or charm.

* * *

**Rating: **T/PG13 (Because I'm still too chicken to actually write a lemon. Did you know that you're not allowed to? Besides, I'm a minor. Maybe when I turn 18, the thought of writing actual yaoi won't make me twitch.)

**Pairing: **Sephiroth/Cloud

**Word Count: **5,062 (I died typing this, I swear.)

**Warnings: **Naughty words and love of the kissing kind. Also kinda AU-ish.

**Summary: **Cloud, Sephiroth, a fortune teller, and a love spell. What chaos shall they wreak?

**Dedication: **To Cloud Strife. Happy Birthday! I never did get used to you being a minor character in both Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core. Your few cameos were all fangirl-squeal-worthy, however. -

**Disclaimer: **I do not, in any way, shape or form, claim any of these characters as my personal property. I gain nothing but the satisfaction of writing, and the warm, fuzzy glow I get from reviews. I don't own them people. I don't even own Levine, the scary secretary/assistant of Sephiroth. He belongs to Amarissia, who, by the way, is amazing. After you're done with this, you should go read her stories. Shameless author promotion, right here. But seriously, after you're done, go hence and read Amarissia's fics. You'll love them.

* * *

Zack Fair, the second to the world's most celebrated war hero, pranced (that's right, people, _pranced_) into the General's office, a huge grin plastered across his features. Upon stopping in front of his best friend's desk, he immediately assumed a much more somber expression that was akin to the one Sephiroth wore right then, though his eyes were still alight with glee. Sephiroth noted all this without glancing up from his reports, though his left eye started twitching ever so slightly. What was Zack up to this time?

He soon found out when his second opened his mouth to speak. In a very serious monotone, once again akin to that of the General's, he said, unusually eloquently, "It has come to the attention of both me and several others that you have been unnaturally stressed and distracted as of late."

The twitch spasmed once, then returned to its original state. "And what makes you say that, Zackary?" Hmm, reported monster sightings increasing in the Nibel area. Odd.

The dark-haired man broke his stern façade and cracked into a huge grin that Sephiroth knew only Zack was capable of. "Aw, come on, Seph! You know what I mean! I mean, I prance in here, and you don't even look up! You usually threaten to get your scary secretary to throw me out if I don't walk with some decorum. Plus, you got a really easy equation wrong on one of those calculations. And it wasn't some little mistake that I'd make either. It was totally off, like you were thinking completely different numbers! AND you've started doodling. You never doodle. Like, _ever_. So, either the world is coming to an end, and you have yet to tell anyone, or you're just stressed and distracted." Zack nodded, seemingly proud of his infallible logic.

Sephiroth closed his eyes to control the ever growing twitch that only his second could bring out and sighed under his breath. After a few seconds, he responded. "Firstly, in your constant presence, it is very easy to become both stressed and distracted. Secondly, Levine is an _assistant_, not a secretary."

Zack scoffed. "The guy answers your phone calls, orders your files, sorts your mail, guards your office like it's a holy temple, and pretty much worships the ground you walk on. He's a fucking secretary." His expression suddenly became accusatory. "Hey, no changing the subject here!"

Sephiroth smirked slightly. "I did not. You are merely easily distracted."

Zack opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it and ignored the jibe. "Anyway, in my professional opinion, the best solution for this would be to go out and get laid."

Were he anyone else, Sephiroth would have sputtered indignantly. However, he simply looked up from his paper work calmly, one eyebrow raised. "And how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Sex relieves stress," Zack stated matter-of-factly, "and my guess is that you're being distracted by some_one_, rather than some_thing_," he finished with his typical "I'm planning something, and you have no clue what it is, but you'd better watch your back" grin. "So, what do you think of Spiky?"

Sephiroth stared at his friend bemusedly. "You go from suggesting that I find and fornicate with someone to asking my opinion of your young friend within the same breath?"

His only answer was the grin widening and the eyes sparkling with mischief. "C'mon, answer the question!"

Sephiroth sighed again. He knew Zack well enough to know that he'd never get a straight answer out of the man if he didn't want to give it. "Strife is a strong and capable young man, and had he not failed the psych test, he would have made a good SOLDIER."

The lieutenant general pouted. "That's not what I meant. What do you think of him as a person?"

There was a long silence, punctuated only by the soft scratching of a pen or the rustling of paper as Sephiroth contemplated Zack's question. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure what he thought of the blond, spiky-haired youth. Being raised in a lab did horrors for one's ability to comprehend and identify emotions. All he knew was that whenever he saw the blonde, he felt an indescribable sort of longing, a deep warmth that spread from his chest to every part of him, along with an urge to smile. Even ignoring Zack's less-than-subtle insinuations, Sephiroth had come to acknowledge the desire he had for the young man, but it was entirely different, as well as far stronger, than what he had once felt for Genesis, who had been his only constant sexual partner. Zack, being the faithful friend he was, had once tried to explain to him the difference between lust and love, and Sephiroth felt that he was slowly coming to realize it through the person that was Cloud Strife.

"He is a good person," Sephiroth finally said. "You are a sound judge, it seems, when it comes to choosing friends."

Zack's grin faltered nearly imperceptibly before returning to its usual gleefulness. "Well, it's been great talking to you, Seph, but I gotta meeting with Tuesti. Why they're making me meet with the Urban Development executive, I have no clue, but who am I to complain, huh? Catch ya later, Seph!" Whistling a tune that sounded vaguely like the ridiculous theme song some composer had created for the war hero, Zack strode confidently through the outer office, gave a cheery wave to Levine who glared at him fiercely, and pranced (again, yes, _pranced_) out the door.

Sephiroth stared for a few seconds before returning to his work. He had already resigned himself to the fact that he would never understand the mystery that was Zack Fair.

* * *

Cloud Strife, ShinRa Army trooper, native of Nibelheim, age 16, was having a rather difficult conflict in his mind. On one side, there is a love-struck boy that believed all that Disney crap about everything working out with the power of love, aka Cloud A. On the other, there was a more realistic, if not cynical, young man that knew that life was harsh and no amount of love and rainbows mattered when there was the possibility of being faced with a 7-foot long sword and imminent death, aka Cloud B.

_Tell him_, Cloud A repeated for the millionth time. _There's always a possibility that he feels the same way, you know._

_And once again, he is a freaking war hero, whereas you are a measly trooper. Why would he remember your face among thousands, anyway?_ Cloud B argued.

_Zack introduced you, remember? _Cloud A retorted. _You guys are pretty good buddies! Besides, you're at the top of your class! He must know about potential SOLDIERs, right? Isn't that his job?_

_Again with the war hero stuff! Even if you could get on his good side, the closest anyone's ever gotten to him was Zack! And you don't want just that level of affection, do you? You want him to divest all clothing on both your persons, slam you against the nearest flat surface, and make sweet love to you while whispering desperate love confessions in your ear, is that right?_

Cloud groaned aloud, shutting off the protesting voices in his head. He really needed to control himself better in public, and those images were definitely not helping with controlling his crazy teenage libido.

Yes, Cloud Strife, poor, insignificant, little Cloud Strife, was in love with the most famous, most admired, most celebrated man on Gaia, the great General Sephiroth. And it was driving him completely insane. Being Zack's best friend put him in much closer proximity to the general than any other trooper could ever hope for. However, it was exactly this proximity that caused his current predicament. He didn't blame Zack at all, but were it not for him, Cloud could be like all the other starry-eyed cadets, mournfully longing for something impossible. Damn the circumstances for giving him such a wild hope. Damn it all.

"You, laddie! You with the blond spikes! Might yeh spare a moment?" A squeaky, heavily accented voice interrupted his thoughts. He glanced toward the source of the somewhat annoying tone, eyes resting on a small, waving figure sitting in a sort of gay looking booth with a sign that cheerfully proclaimed "Fortunes told here!"

Cloud warily approached the booth. Normally, he would've sped past such an ostentatious display, but the small figure had singled him out, and he was a nice person. Stopping in front of the booth, he realized that the small figure was a diminutive, cartoon-ish cat-thing, with a small crown perched on his head at an odd angle. "Er…you, uh, called me?" The blonde was definitely confused at this point. Did cats tell fortunes? More importantly, did cats even _talk?_

"Why, yes, I did, laddie! You looked real down, so I figured yeh'd like some cheerin' up, eh?" The cat-thing grinned, bouncing slightly on top of the large, stuffed moogle he…it sat on.

Cloud cocked an eyebrow. This was getting increasingly strange. Plus, he really wanted to get back to ShinRa so he could curl up in the corner of his room and angst and write crappy emo poetry about unrequited love. Because Cloud is the undisputed prince of emo-ness. He started to respond politely. "Um…thanks, but I really gotta – "

"Ah, c'mon! Tell me what it is! Cait here'll have whatcha need fer anythin'!" There was the creepy grin again.

Cloud sighed. He definitely wasn't going to be able to get out of this without giving some information. "Well," he started, choosing his words carefully, "I really like this..." He paused, before figuring he might as well be honest. Not like a toy cat-thing would be prejudiced. "This guy. But I'm not sure…well…he doesn't like me back. That's all, I guess."

The cat-thing (it called itself Cait?) grinned wider. "Well, laddie, there's a problem easy solved! All ya need's a love spell, ain't it? And Cait Sith 'ere has plenty o' love spells!"

Cloud sputtered, even as he watched the toy cat rummage around the back of his…its booth. "Wait, what? I don't want a – !"

"Ah, don't worry, laddie! I'll even give it to ya free o' charge! Anythin' to help out a fellow in need, eh? Now then, yeh'll be wantin' the one that'll make one person love ya specifically, eh? 'Ere's the one, right 'ere!" The cat-thing held out what looked like one of those sugar packets they had at restaurants, except with the words _Cait's Love Mix_ printed on it in pink, curly script. "Ya just mix it into their drink, confess yer true love ta them, seal it up with a kiss, and they'll be head over heels with ya!"

The blond trooper took the questionable substance. "Does it…last?" he asked hesitantly, silently resolving to toss the stuff into the first trash can he saw.

Cait Sith, or so it called itself, giggled madly. "Oh, it wears off with a night's sleep! But that'll be enough to suit your purposes, eh? Tata!" Ignoring Cloud's sputtering protests, the toy cat shooed him off with a cheery wave.

* * *

In a fancily decorated office, only three floors above the General's, Zack Fair and Reeve Tuesti shared a high five.

* * *

Within seconds of walking through the front door of the ShinRa building, Cloud was ZackAttacked™.

"Zack……need…air…" the blonde managed to gasp through his best friend's stranglehold around his neck.

The Lieutenant General beamed and gave one last squeeze before releasing the younger male and immediately started ranting. "Heya, Spiky, what's up? How was your trip around Midgar? Did you have fun? Did you remember not to talk to strangers? Did you look both ways before crossing the street? Do you still have your wallet? No one bumped into you, did they? You know, one time, I was just minding my own business and trying to get back up to the plate when this brat bumps into me and steals my wallet! It took me ages to find him again, and the guys around the market were no help at all! I didn't even get to lecture him about it! I mean, Aerith wouldn't let me, but you know I – "

"Zack, I'm fine, everything was great, and I had fun, now shut up." Being able to interrupt him without fear of punishment was one of the very useful privileges of being Zack's friend, and one that Cloud took every advantage to use.

At his command, Zack stopped talking and smiled brightly. "So, anyway, I was thinking, since it's your birthday and you have the day off, you wanna come up to my room for dinner? We could have a little party! I'll buy a cake and everything, how about it?"

Cloud's heart skipped a few beats in panic. Zack's room was shared with Sephiroth. And he _really_ did not feel like dealing with Sephiroth. Not today. Hell, not for the next 50 years if he could manage it.

"Um…I'm not sure, I think I might've had something scheduled early tomorrow –" ARGH. There it was. That stupid puppy expression that made him cave _every single time_. Well, it wouldn't work this time. There was no way he was giving in. Nope. Never. Oh, crap, were those _tears?_ "Ugh, fine, I'll be there once I manage to shower," Cloud finally responded, still very reluctant.

Zack's eyes lit up instantly. "Promise?"

Cloud waved him off, walking away. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Once in the safe confines of the elevator, he sighed. What on earth had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Sephiroth was on the verge of having a very un-Sephiroth-like panic attack.

He had taken no more than three steps down the hallway that contained his and Zack's shared suite when his enhanced senses had been assaulted by the aroma of freshly baked cookies. This alone triggered an instant fight-or-flight response, dashing down the hallway with the sudden adrenaline rush. The first day he had met Zack, attempting to mimic his mother's stew recipe for Angeal, there had been a cataclysmic eruption from the pot he was stirring, the greenish slop flying everywhere, instantly rotting all wooden surfaces it came into contact with. From that day forward, he had resolved to do everything in his power to keep the man away from the kitchen. Yet now, there was the smell of cookies coming from his apartment, with no acrid burning smell to be detected. Had Zack invited a girl over? No, the only other allowed in their apartment was – His thoughts instantly disintegrated, his heart gave a funny leap that he couldn't identify, and his hand froze inches from entering the last digit on the keypad lock.

Of course. Hadn't he heard Zack rant for the past week about plans for "Spiky's" birthday?

After setting his neutral, calm, "I don't give a fuck" expression in perfect order, he hit the last button and opened the door.

* * *

"God, Zack, I still can't believe you're making me bake cookies for my own birthday party. That's, like, against the ancient laws governing the ways of partying. 'Thou shalt not force the subject of partying to provide his/her own snacks/refreshments' or some such shit," Cloud grumbled for the _n_th time as he checked the oven again. Hmm, could probably still use a minute or so.

Zack snickered. "Would you rather I kill us all with my radioactive creations?"

The blonde shuddered at the thought, and then rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Couldn't you have ordered some, like the cake?" He opened the oven and slid the cookie sheet out, hands covered in oven mitts far too large.

"Yeah, but I like yours better! You put more chocolate!" The lieutenant general bounced to his young friend's side, happily inhaling the intoxicating scent. "Mmmm, that smells soooo goooood…" He grabbed one instantly, then dropped it with a yelp and nursed his burnt fingers.

Cloud started snickering, but was instantly sobered by the door opening.

Zack, on the other hand, perked up instantaneously. "Seeeeeeeeph!" he sang, sprinting full speed toward the door with arms outstretched.

Sephiroth, after avoiding the incoming ZackAttack™, registering that nothing was burning, and seeing that the one that baked the cookies was indeed none other than Cloud Strife, allowed himself a small smirk at his second, who was currently sprawled across the floor. "Never announce your presence to an enemy if you expect to succeed in an assault, Lieutenant."

Zack blew a very undignified raspberry in response. "Fuck you, Seph. Just cuz you're faster than me doesn't mean I won't get you someday. No one avoids ZackAttacks™ for long!" He sat up with a goofy grin.

Cloud almost laughed at his friend's embarrassment, then realized that _Sephiroth_ was in the room and took a few calming breaths to repress the rising anxiety. When the general turned his way, he snapped into a formal salute. "Sir!"

Sephiroth was smiling slightly. "At ease, Strife," he said, nodding in acknowledgement.

The blonde relaxed his stance and returned the expression shyly. His thoughts randomly trailed to the supposed love spell that he had neglected to throw out. Maybe – He choked the thought off before it took root.

* * *

For Sephiroth, seeing the young man again had affirmed his suspicions of his own feelings. There was the same rushing warmth, and there was the inexplicable urge to throw all caution and decorum to the winds and jump the boy. _You want him!_ a rather sing-song voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like Zack exclaimed. _You loooooooove him! You want to marry him! You want him to bear your children!_ Yes, that did sound remarkably like Zack.

Before he could kill the voice in the bloodiest way imaginable, the real Zack spoke up. "Hey, Spike, how about something to drink, huh?"

Cloud stared at his best friend incredulously. "You're making me serve you drinks in your own suite? At _my_ own birthday party? Isn't that another violation of the ancient laws or something? 'Thou shalt not make the subject of partying serve drinks'?" Oh, dammit. There were the puppy eyes again. Do not give in, do not give in, do not –

"Bastard," he grumbled just loud enough for Zack to hear as he stalked off into the kitchen.

* * *

Cloud sighed as he poured drinks, soda for himself and Zack (non-caffeinated of course) and a simple glass of water for the general. His thoughts once again turned toward the "love mix". If he was going to use it, now would likely be the only chance he'd get. After a minute or two of quiet deliberation, he sighed, inwardly cursing himself for being a superstitious idiot, and ripped open the packet, pouring the powdery white stuff into the water glass.

* * *

While this was happening, Zack was leering at his silver-haired friend, repeating the exact words that had earlier been said in aforementioned friend's mind.

"You want him."

An impatient twitch. The leer grew.

"You loooooooove him!"

More of a spasm this time. "Zack…" The sound of inane cackling.

"You want to marry him!"

A glare, fingers fisting to keep from strangling his best friend. "Zackary Fair…" The cackling became hysterical giggles.

"You want him to bear your children!"

Ah, there was the Look. The Look that froze everything it came into contact with, that scared even President Shinra shitless. But not Zack. Having been on its receiving end countless times, Zack had long since grown immune to the effects of the Look. But, merely to placate his friend, he managed to tone down his giggles into a calm grin.

"Hey, I don't blame you, he's a pretty kid. I'm straight, and I can see that much."

The Look abated and was replaced by a more thoughtful expression. There was no need to speak. Zack, clumsy and idiotic he might be, was very good at reading faces. They could hold entire conversations without him saying a word.

The grin subsided a little and became more serious. "You really do like him a lot. I can see that much. And just because I know you're gonna ask, I don't mind at all." Sephiroth glanced at him bemusedly at this. Zack gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it! Besides, did I not say you need to get laid?" The expression turned more annoyed at this. "C'mon, Seph, I know you wanna!" It was getting dangerously close to the Look again. "Fine, fine, geez. If it's any consolation, he definitely lo–"

They were interrupted by the kitchen door opening and Cloud walking out with three glasses. "Here's your stupid drink, dumbass. Hope you choke on it and die."

Zack grinned widely. "Thanks, Spiky, I love you too!"

Sephiroth amused himself with the odd display as he sipped his water. Hmm, oddly sweet. Maybe one of the cadets had been tampering with the water supply again. No matter, he figured, not noticing Cloud's intent gaze on him.

After a few minutes of relaxing on the couch and bantering lightly between the three of them, Zack stood up happily. "Now, are we gonna have a party or what?"

* * *

All in all, it was much better than it could have been. Zack had only insisted on 32 rounds of DDR instead of his usual 57, all of which he lost to the much more coordinated Sephiroth and Cloud. Afterwards, dinner ended up to be delivered pizza, which they had all happily consumed after so much lost energy. The cake was topped with 16 sparklers, instead of traditional candles, that they had no choice but to wait for five minutes or so to burn out. The cake itself was delicious. Even Sephiroth, who wasn't a fan of sweets, attested to that. One cake fight and twenty-ish more songs on DDR later, they settled down with milk and Cloud's cookies to watch a new movie called Advent Children, in which the main characters looked scarily familiar. After a small tussle over a remark that Zack had made about what kind of present movie Sephiroth could give movie Cloud that resulted in both actual men turning away from each other and flushing, Zack suddenly and loudly excused himself to make a phone call at nearly midnight, leaving Cloud and Sephiroth alone to watch movie Cloud speed down an empty road pointlessly on his motorcycle in silence.

Cloud was remembering Cait Sith's instructions. _"Ya just mix it into their drink, confess yer true love ta them, seal it up with a kiss, and they'll be head over heels with ya!"_ He had mixed the…stuff into Sephiroth's drink, supposedly all he needed to do was confess his feelings and kiss the guy, the thought of which already made him feel like mushy stuff inside. And not in the good way either. It was the scary, nerve-wracking, DO NOT WANT way. But Cloud Strife, once set on something, would pursue it to the very end.

"Um…" _Dammit, could you _be _less eloquent?_ "Si – Sephiroth?" _Yeah, that's right, stutter like the blushing virgin you are. God, love's a bitch._

The general turned toward him, a somewhat curious expression adorning his features. "Yes, Cloud?"

The blonde's heart leapt at the sound of his name coming from that smooth, lovely baritone. He shoved the feeling away and tried to decide how to phrase his words. Should he be subtle about it, maybe more direct, or maybe – _Oh, fuck it._

"I love you." There it was. The truth, out in the open. "I…I've loved you for ages. I mean, not like the others who just fantasize about you. I…I really, really want to be with you. And…I understand if…if you don't want to, of course. I just…thought you should know." Then, before he could lose his nerve, Cloud propped himself up and pecked Sephiroth lightly on the lips before turning away, his face a bright, flaming red.

* * *

The general had no idea how to respond. He had gotten an outright confession of love from a young man that _he _loved, and a kiss with it, too. And now, every fiber of his being screamed _KISS HIM,_ but he didn't want to scare the boy. Then he remembered Zack's repeated advice to him of _just go with it_, and figured that if Cloud freaked out, it wouldn't he his fault.

* * *

Cloud was mortified. He'd done it, and nothing had happened. He'd been a complete idiot and mixed a mystery powder into the general's drink, hoping it was a _love spell_, of all things. He was such an _idiot!_ That toy cat-thing was obviously some kind of con artist. Maybe the stuff was poison of some sort. Maybe he'd poisoned the general! _Shit shit shit shit SHI–!_ Out of nowhere, his arm had been grabbed, he'd been spun around, and now Sephiroth's lips were on his.

His first thought was '_I have GOT to be dreaming_'. But then, Sephiroth's tongue was coaxing his mouth open, and he decided that if it was a dream, he'd better get the most out of it. He parted his lips and let the older man's tongue battle his into submission. Cloud closed his eyes and moaned softly into Sephiroth's mouth. This felt far too good to be a dream.

When they finally parted for breath, the general's eyes burned green with mako reacting to his lust. He wasted no time in scooping the young blonde into his arms and carrying the boy to his room.

* * *

Zack grinned at the breathy moans and gasps he heard from his friend's room. He dialed Reeve's number. Not even one full ring later, and there was an answer.

"Did it work?" Mischievous glee was obvious in the executive's voice.

"Yup! And they're at it already! You owe me a thousand gil," Zack winced, then giggled slightly at the scream of "SEPHIROTH!" he heard from the other room.

There was a sigh on the other line. "Damn. Well, at least I did my good deed for the day."

Zack beamed. "You got it, Tuesti."

* * *

Sephiroth gently cradled the sleeping figure. "I love you, Cloud," he whispered, not wanting to wake the boy.

Cloud, not fully asleep, heard this and tried his best to hold back tears. Just one night of happiness. It'd all be gone in the morning.

* * *

Sephiroth stretched as he woke, faintly confused as to why he was nude. Then he remembered and smiled. He gently shook the sleeping figure beside him. "Cloud. Cloud, wake up."

The blonde shook his head and buried his head deeper into his pillow.

The general made sure to keep from rolling his eyes like a petulant child. "Come, Cloud, wake up."

Another shake of the head. "Don' wanna…" he murmured sleepily.

Sephiroth very nearly did roll his eyes. "And why not?"

Another sleepy response. "'M having a good dream…"

He smiled warmly. "What are you dreaming about?"

Cloud sighed into his pillow. "You loved me in the dream," he whispered almost inaudibly.

Sephiroth, with his enhanced ears, picked up the soft response. He cocked his head. "I love you outside of the dream as well, Cloud."

The head shaking and response was much more awake this time. "No, you don't. You never did. It was some spell from some stupid fortune teller."

The general was now very confused. "Spell? Fortune teller? Cloud, explain, please."

If his face were not buried in the pillow, it would have been tomato red. He slowly explained about the cat-thing in Wall Market and its instructions. "And it worked, which means you don't love me anymore. It wears off with a night's sleep. Everything's back to normal." Sephiroth would go back to being the untouchable general, and he would go back to being a love-struck trooper, only now he'd have a memory instead of a fantasy. It was the most he had dared hope for.

Then, Sephiroth began to laugh. It was an amazing thing, the seemingly cold war hero laughing in amusement. It was truly a beautiful sound. After the laughter died down, the general spoke. "You never needed a spell to make me fall in love with you. I had done that on my own."

Cloud finally looked up, shock and disbelief on his face, yet he saw complete love and sincerity in those lovely, mako green eyes. His shock vanished to be replaced by a smile, an expression of the most happiness he'd ever had in his lifetime, as he threw himself at his new lover.

* * *

It was close to noon on the following Saturday. Cloud was once again walking the streets of Midgar, though this time, with a much happier expression and entirely different thoughts buzzing through his head. Then, he heard that squeaky, accented voice again.

"So I take it everything worked out for yeh?" There was the toy cat-thing on its stuffed moogle, bright rainbow-y booth still the same as last time.

Cloud smiled slightly as he walked over. "Yeah…What was that stuff you gave me, anyway?"

Cait Sith waved a hand dismissively. "Just a pinch o' powder sugar, laddie! Nothin' harmful at all!" It grinned its toy cat grin again. "So, yeh're all happy now, eh? 'M glad fer ya!"

Cloud smiled, partly out of relief. It would have sucked if he'd accidentally poisoned his lover. "Yeah, thanks." He bit his lip, as if considering something, then left some gil along with a note before walking away with a wave.

Cait Sith picked up the gil and counted it up. A thousand gil? That would pay his debt to Zack easily enough! Then he read the note. The first part was written in long, elegant strokes, the second in small, neat print.

_Tuesti,_

_Give Zackary my sincere thanks._

**And punch him in the face a couple times, would you?**

_Sephiroth, _**Cloud Strife**

Back in his office, Reeve smiled. There was a message that he wouldn't mind passing along.

* * *

FINALLY DONE! This is by far the longest thing I've written yet. I realize that it's late, but I didn't start writing it until around noon on Cloud's birthday. I had a lot of fun writing this. Somehow, I could totally picture Sephiroth and Cloud being awesome at DDR. XD

**I am holding Sephiroth, Cloud, Zack, Vincent, and Genesis hostage. Now review, or I will tie them up outside and leave them to be glomped to death by the fangirls. I swear, I'll do it!**


	4. Knell

You know, I'll probably end up having a 3 day delay instead of a 2 day delay. Sorry, people.

* * *

**knell** \NEL\, _verb_:  
**1.** The stroke of a bell tolled at a funeral or at the death of a person; a death signal; a passing bell; hence, figuratively, a warning of, or a sound indicating, the passing away of anything.

_intransitive verb_:  
**1.** To sound as a knell; especially, to toll at a death or funeral; hence, to sound as a warning or evil omen.  
**Rating:** K/PG

**Pairing:** I don't think there is one. Maybe Zack/Cloud if you tilt your head to the right and squint a bit.

**Word Count:** 319

**Summary:** Zack's death was never remembered by anyone but Cloud. (AC hilltop scene rewrite.)

**Warnings:** Angst. Yeah. Me + boredom angst. If you read To Cry, my crappy free verse poem, you know this already.

**Dedication:** I did say I'd write a fic for Zack! Only he still doesn't get any. And he's dead. His death totally ruined the Crisis Core ending song for me. If he hadn't died, I might actually like that song. As such, whenever I hear it, I start crying and writing things like this. Or it could be that my muse happens to be Vincent Valentine. Yeah, that could definitely be it.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned them, FFVII would have been remade in high-res already, Zack would not have died, Hojo would have died a far more horrible death, Sephiroth would not have gone insane, and the entire compilation would have had a much higher rating than just T. But I don't. I gain nothing from writing this except feeling good about myself. All characters belong to Square Enix. I just own the angst.

* * *

Zack never had a funeral.

Of course, only five people knew that he had died. Three of them were the ones that killed him. One of them always knew when people returned to the Planet. The other...

Cloud stood upon the bluff overlooking Midgar, repositioning the Buster Sword yet again.

Why did Rufus still think he was capable of helping them? He couldn't do anything. He'd failed so many people.

Tifa had fallen into a coma after the bridge had broken.

Sephiroth had gone insane and burned his hometown.

Aerith had died at the hands of an empty shell of his former friend.

And Zack...

Zack who had singled him out and wished him luck. Zack who had broken them out of the Shinra mansion's labs. Zack who had secured them safe passage to Midgar and thought of a way to make their living. Zack who had been his first close friend. Zack who had saved his life.

Zack who, up until falling in the Lifestream, he had forgotten.

Cloud stepped back slowly and bowed his head, saying a silent prayer to no one in particular. Lifting his eyes back to the huge sword, he let the memories carry him.

"I said I'd live for the both of us..."

The words were out before he realized he'd been speaking aloud.

He had made that promise, hadn't he? As his best friend handed down the Buster Sword, a symbol of his honor, his dreams, Cloud had promised to be his living legacy. And he had forgotten. He had failed.

His next words were sardonic, to hide the growing pain. "Well, easy to make that promise..."

As the Geostigma overwhelmed his senses, he grasped the sword like a talisman to fight the pain, all the while repeating the same silent prayers of rememberance and redemption.

It was the most he could do.

It was the only funeral that Zack could have.

* * *

**I gave Genesis to the first signed review I got on , but I still have the rest of the bishies here! I can still tie them outside to die at the hands of rabid fangirls if you don't comment!**


	5. Aestival

Well, here's the word of 8/19. Since it was Cloud's birthday word, it's another fic about Cloudy. He must've been so adorable when he was a baby! (squeezes)

* * *

**aestival** \ES-tuh-vuhl\, _adjective_:

Of or belonging to the summer; as, aestival diseases. Spelled also estival.

* * *

**Rating: **T/PG13

**Pairing: **None, since Cloud is a little baby. XD

**Word Count: **507

**Warnings: **Childbirth mentions and a little boy Sephy. It's also about an event that could never have happened, but I thought it'd be cute.

**Summary: **A young Sephiroth accompanies Professor Gast to see a newborn child.

**Dedication: **I'm giving this one to Sephiroth, actually. You seem like you would have been a really cute kid. So sorry you didn't get to kill Hojo in the game. I hope you get enjoyment out of repeatedly reviving and stabbing him in my garage.

**Disclaimer: **Why would I even be writing this if I owned them?

* * *

After several minutes of waiting, a nurse opened the door to the hospital and beckoned the silver-haired boy and the scientist inside. "A little boy," she declared happily.

Gast nodded. "Good. I had wanted to see what the genes looked like in…" He murmured some scientific jargon to himself as Sephiroth raced to the new mother's bedside.

The boy peered at the newborn curiously. He was very small, shorter than the length of his arm. Now that the initial redness had faded, the baby's complexion was very pale, typical of the mountainous region. Tufts of downy, golden-blond hair topped his head. His eyes were closed in contented sleep. Sephiroth watched wide-eyed as the child's fingers slowly curled in his slumber.

"Sephiroth, was it?" The mother suddenly spoke, snapping the older boy out of his reverie.

He nodded politely, remembering the manners Professor Gast had taught him. "Yes, Missus Strife."

The woman smiled compassionately. "Would you like to hold him, Sephiroth?"

For once, the silver-haired boy's eyes betrayed his eagerness as he nodded fiercely. He let the mother guide his arms around the infant before she allowed him to pull away from the bed.

Sephiroth rocked his arms slowly, as he had seen the woman do. A tentative smile brightened his eyes. He looked back at Ms. Strife, who was watching him kindly. "What's his name?" he asked, curious.

She shook her head, frowning thoughtfully. "I've not thought of one yet." After a moment's pause, her expression brightened again. "Why don't you name him, Sephiroth?"

The boy's eyes widened, and he quickly turned toward Gast for permission. The professor nodded warmly. "Go ahead, Sephiroth. I'm sure you'll think of a great name."

Sephiroth examined the baby in his arms. How exactly did one name children? After much deliberation, he decided that he would find a name based on the infant's appearance.

His eyes took in the child's pale skin. _Ivory?_ he thought. _Alabaster? Snow? _Nothing good was coming up with the skin. He moved to the newborn's downy hair. _Gold? Kogane, maybe?_ Nothing there, either. After going through several more possibilities and their Wutaiian translations, he was about to give up, when the child opened his eyes.

They were the deepest, most wonderful blue. The blue of the shallow ocean, the blue of the summer sky. A blue that made you think of warmth and home and pure bliss. A name came to his lips, and he instantly knew it was right.

"Cloud."

The mother's head cocked. "Cloud?"

Sephiroth turned toward her, eyes determined. "Hair like the sun, eyes like the sky, and a name like clouds. He's a summer sky." He turned to Gast, who smiled brightly and nodded.

The woman held out her arms, and Sephiroth gave her the baby. He frowned slightly at the loss of contact. "Is it a good name?" he asked a little self-consciously.

She smiled brightly at him. "Of course, Sephiroth. It's perfect." Then, she held her child close and spoke softly in his ear. "Cloud Strife. My little summer sky."

* * *

I thought it would be the cutest thing ever if Sephiroth had named Cloud when he was a kid. This scene has been cooped up in my brain for a while, pulled out occasionally when I wanted a warm, fuzzy feeling. And now I share it with you. I was going to have Hojo accompany Sephiroth, but I figured a dickweed like him wouldn't let the poor kid name a baby.

**I've still got those bishies here! I can still leave them out to die by cause of fangirl army, people! It will happen if you don't review! (Except Vincent, because he's my muse. I can't write these things without him. Everyone else will die, though, I swear!)**


	6. Bruit

I am _so _sorry this is late! I just had no time at all yesterday, and I totally forgot. You'll have to get used to it though, cuz school's starting tomorrow, so I'll probably only have time to post on weekends.

* * *

**bruit **\BROOT\, _transitive verb:_

To report; to noise abroad

**

* * *

**

Rating:

T/PG13

**Pairings:** Vincent/Sephiroth

**Word Count:  
**  
**Warnings:** Bad words and kissing. And mentions of bondage, though it's never actually done. I've never actuall written this pairing, and I'm kinda bad at keeping the stoic _grrr _kinda people in character. Sorry if it's OOC at all.

**Summary:** Sephiroth and Vincent decide to expose their relationship to the rest of the group.

**Dedication:** This is actually to cybergoth on , who wrote the story that I based this on (sorta). It's called Vincent's Day, and, while you can understand this story without reading it, it would be very helpful if you did. Clicky here to read it. Second chapter contains yaoi, and is definitely not work safe! Can't say I didn't warn ya!

**Disclaimer:** After much careful planning, deliberation, bribes, and failed attempts, I have succesfully obtained (read: stolen) a Manipulate materia and HypnoCrown from Cait Sith. I shall use these items to control the Great Nomura-san into giving me the rights to FFVII...No, not really. I don't own them and I never will. I _do _have the Manip. materia and the HypnoCrown, though! I'll probably make Reno my mind slave for a day or two. It should be entertaining.

* * *

Vincent Valentine calmly accepted a drink from Tifa. He had come to AVALANCHE's reunion with the intent of exposing his and Sephiroth's relationship to the public, and he had hoped that there would be an opportunity where he could slip the words in without creating a fuss, but he hadn't been able to get a single word in edgewise. His patience was wearing thin, and a glance at his lover told him that Sephiroth thought the same.

The former enemy of the group was indeed in attendance. Though his presence did not cause the same outrage and hate that it had when it was discovered that he was still alive, coming to the heroes' party when it was the anniversary of his defeat that they were celebrating seemed a bit strange. Though some (Tifa and Barret, especially) were less than than pleased with his presence, they mostly treated him as they would any other awkward acquaintance.

The clock in the corner quietly chimed six o' clock, and Cloud, as the party leader, released himself from Yuffie's stranglehold and stood and cleared his throat. The others looked to him as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Uh..." Cid sniggered at their leader's eloquent start, only to be caught on the recieving end of Tifa's fist. "Well, uh, guys, it's been a year since we saved the Planet, so..." More sniggers as he fumbled for words. "So...a toast, I guess?" He raised his drink, slightly self-conscious of all the eyes on him.

Barret and Cid roared with appreciation and smashed their glasses into his immediately, chugging down their beer and going for more. Tifa and Reeve calmly clapped and offered him encouraging smiles as they raised their glasses. Nanaki barked a few times in celebration, before settling quietly on the floor. Yuffie catcalled and tackled Cloud into a hug yet again. Vincent and Sephiroth amused themselves with the display the others made as they calmly drank.

Vincent glanced at the others meaningfully, then looked back to Sephiroth and rolled his eyes exasperatedly, as if saying, "The idiots aren't going to listen to a single word we say." Sephiroth frowned, disappointed at the lost opportunity. Then he smirked, his eyes brightening deviously.

The ex-Turk cocked an eyebrow. "You have an idea?" he asked in a low voice.

"Of a sort," the former general responded before pulling his lover forward into a deep, passionate kiss.

Kissing between the two of them was always a fight for dominance, neither of them willing to give in at first. Mouths opened and tongues entwined in a fierce battle. Vincent made a small noise of appreciation, quickly catching on to the plan. He reached behind his lover's head, burying his fingers in the shining silver locks. Sephiroth groaned, moving his hands to undo the heavy crimson mantle. They probably would have had sex in the middle of the bar floor had the sound of breaking glass not interrupted them.

They pulled back and looked toward the source of the sound. Everyone was staring at them in shock, and Tifa's hand was opened, the remains of a shattered bottle below it.

Surprisingly, Yuffie seemed to recover faster than the rest, her flabbergasted expression changing into a gleeful grin. "Holy shit, that was _hot!_" she giggled madly.

Cid seemed to be roused by this. "Way to drop a fuckin' bombshell on us. Coulda just fuckin' said something, ya bastards," he grumbled, before turning back to his drink. Barret, more out of a wish not to lose the drinking contest to Cid, shook his head incredulously and turned away.

Nanaki rolled his eyes and shook his head once. Humans, he figured.

Reeve blinked once slowly, then asked, "So...has this...have you...erm...how long?"

Vincent smirked. "Around four months," he stated calmly.

Tifa seemed to be shaken out of her shocked reverie. "And you didn't think to tell us?"

Sephiroth finally spoke. "When you learned that I was alive, you tried to kill me. How would you have responded if you had learned that we were lovers?"

The bar maid's protests faded.

That left Cloud. It was his response that really mattered, and it was the only one the two of them actually had some apprehension about. If it came to a fight, the two of them together would be able to handle him without serious injury to either parties, but he was a friend, and both of them dreaded his disapproval.

He only smirked and rolled his eyes. "Took you guys long enough to tell us."

Vincent cocked an eyebrow. "You knew?"

The blond swordsman rolled his eyes again. "You pulled a gun on us for him. If there wasn't anything between you two, you would've let him take care of himself." His expression changed to his leader-y scowl that made the two under its gaze subconsciously sit up straighter. "Sephiroth, I know that you're blocking out Jenova, but if you ever lose control and go psycho again, you have to know that you'll be hurting my friend, and I _will_ get you for it."

Sephiroth nodded calmly. "I have no intention of hurting him."

Vincent fidgeted, feeling a little uncomfortable, yet a little flattered that Cloud was defending him. He cleared his throat softly, and his lover got the message, turning toward him.

Tifa saw this and dashed toward them. "Not in here, you two! I don't want Yuffie drooling all over my floor!" She shoved them violently up the stairs and into a room, slamming the door behind them.

The former general chuckled. "They took it rather well, I think."

Vincent rolled his eyes, hoping that the other man wouldn't remember their bet earlier.

"And I did remember. When we get back to the ShinRa mansion, it's you get to tie _your_self up for me." Sephiroth smirked, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

The ex-Turk sighed, then promptly shoved all thoughts away as he connected their lips again.

* * *

I don't think I like this one so much...I kinda forced the whole thing out. But, I made a commitment, so whatever.

**It'd be great if someone could leave a review and tell me exactly how much it sucked. Then I won't have to leave my favorite threesome to die.**


	7. Juju

Well, I'm attempting this one on my own, since my muse is still angsting in the closet for reasons unknown to me. If it isn't as good, there's your reason. I'm pairing him with someone in this without previous consent just to piss him off. Maybe if I annoy him enough, he'll come out and try to kill me. Then I can tackle him and steal his weapons again and all will be well with the world again. nods Yup, that'll definitely work.

* * *

**juju** \JOO-joo\, _noun_:  
**1.** An object superstitiously believed to embody magical powers.  
**2.** The power associated with a juju.

**

* * *

**

Rating:

T/PG13

**Pairing:** Yuffie/Vincent (lighthearted, though, nothing serious)

**Word Count: **369

**Warnings:** Kleptomania and kissing. Also, if you think that the ficlet has nothing to do with the word, it does to me. It's _my _word association thing. Sucks to the rest of you.

**Summary:** Yuffie will do _anything _to get materia.

**Dedication:** To my muse, Vincent Valentine. Even though you're being a complete _bastard _and not coming out of the closet (both literally and figuratively, people), I still love you to death! -

**Disclaimer:** I'm trying to use the Manip. materia to control Reno to proposition Rufus so he'll give me the money I need to buy the rights to FFVII. But Reno's got that stupid Ribbon. I'm going to have to steal it off him first. I'll have to bribe Yuffie for the Steal materia now. Crap. In other words, I don't own them yet, but if you come back in a few months, I _might_ then.

* * *

Yuffie eyed the gun hanging off Vincent's hip, the Hades summon materia equipped on it gleaming teasingly at her. So red and shiny...

The ninja girl took a swipe at the ex-Turk's ass in an attempt to distract him from her steal materia working its magic with her other hand. The bastard just blocked both hands, batting them away with an icy glare. She smiled brightly, ignoring the cold expression and feigning innocence. "Yes, Vinny?"

He, nearly imperceptibly, rolled his eyes and turned away, leaving the young ninja to fume at her thirteenth failed attempt that hour. But did failed attempts stop her? Did they hinder her determination at all? Of course not! She was the champion of the earth and sky, the conqueror of evil, the single white rose of Wutai, the great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi! Nothing detered her from her goal! She just needed to change tactics, that was all.

After several moments of silent contemplation, her eyes brightened. Yuffie slowly slinked forward so that she was facing the gunman, smiling suggestively as she inched toward him. His eyes widened and his pupils dilated ever so slightly. Taking this as encouragement, she sat herself on his lap, straddling his hips, drawing even closer. This brought confusion. "Yuffie, what are you doing?"

The materia hunter only grinned wider and lifted her eyes to meet his, slowly closing the gap between them and meeting his lips in a kiss.

Even with her eyes shut, she could feel his shocked and bewildered expression. Yet, he slowly gave way, kissing back fiercely. Yuffie moaned appreciatively into his mouth. She slowly slid her hands down to rest at his hips, even as his tongue licked her lips, asking for entrance that she readily granted.

After they had pulled apart and recovered enough oxygen to speak normally, he cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not adverse to public dislays of affection, but what exactly brought this on?"

The ninja shrugged. "Just felt like it," she said. She skipped toward the back of Seventh Heaven, and in the safety of the back hallway, she pocketed the summon she had just palmed with a mischievous grin. _Nothing _stopped the Great Ninja Yuffie from getting what she wanted.

* * *

Hmm, I think it worked. I think he's going to try and kill me now, so I'd better threaten you all for reviews before he gets out here.

**Leave a review and I won't set a raging, drunken Sephy on your household. For the record, it's not impossible to get Sephiroth drunk. It just takes a whole ton of alcohol in a very short period of time.**


	8. Berate

Oh my God, I am so, so, so, so, SO SORRY this is late! I wanted to get to it on time, but I just couldn't! If you want to read the ones that came before this, check out my LJ. The link is in my profile. My parents have just been total Nazis about computer time, so I'm only allowed 4-6 pm on weekdays, and 9-10 pm if I still have homework that needs doing. And I can't sneak on either, because they have parental controls that instantly shuts me off at exactly that time. And no matter what anyone else tells you, just be sure you know that Asians are NOT natural hackers. But anyway, here's the word of 8/25.

* * *

**berate** \bih-RAYT\, _transitive verb_:  
To scold severely or angrily.

* * *

Rating: T/PG13

Pairing: Zack/Aerith (I know. I'm pairing Zack up with someone other than Cloud or Sephy. It's a miracle of nature.)

Warnings: Bad words. And Aerith being mean to Zacky.

Summary: Zack is whipped. What can we say?

Dedication: This if for Sir FrozenPickle. The pairing was a request, which is the only reason I'm doing it. Thanks very much for the awesome review! Hope you enjoy your Zack/Aerith!

Disclaimer: Do not own. Simple enough, right?

* * *

Zack was a nice guy. No one could argue with that. Wherever he went, he treated everyone with a kind, happy sort of cordiality. He rarely ever lost his temper, and even more rarely would be actually take his anger out on someone. However, he wouldn't tolerate people talking inappropriately to or about his friends, and he would _never _let anyone hit on his girlfriend, _ever._

"OW! Aerith, he was – ARGH! What was that for?!" Zack rubbed his forehead angrily, where the Cetra had just flicked him sharply.

She stood with her hands on her hips. "I told you not to fight with anyone, Zack!" she scolded.

"The bastard was copping a feel! OW!"

She glared. "Don't curse! There are children nearby!"

The SOLDIER sighed in resignation, if only to placate her. "I don't get why you act like this in public. Everyone knows that deep down, you're an evil little bitch."

This brought a teasing glint to her eyes. "Yes, but you know that I love you!" she said cheerfully, lightly pecking him on the cheek.

Zack grinned, all bitterness forgotten, as he swept Aerith into his arms for a kiss.

* * *

**Review, or I will personally stab your eyes out, so that you'll never be able to read fanfiction again, unless someone translates it into Braille for you.**


	9. Naif

**naif** \nah-EEF; ny-\, _adjective_:  
Naive.  
_noun_:  
A naive or inexperienced person.

* * *

Rating: T/PG13 (And it will always be such unless otherwise stated, because I'm tired of having to type this all the time.)

Pairing: Zemyx

Warnings: Bad words and crappy pickup lines. Yeah, I think that's it.

Summary: Demyx is dumb, and Zexion is possessive.

Dedication: For Kiisa's birthday, even though I have no clue when it was. It was sometime recently, that's all I know. Happy belated birthday!

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. I merely twist them to my satisfaction.

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Zexion glanced around the seedy bar they stood in. Their mission was simple: learn the locations of the dragons of legend in the Land of Dragons and turn them into Heartless. Yet, they'd had no luck with the passing villagers, which brought them to this dirty brothel.

He caught a few large, burly drunks staring and glared, before realizing that Demyx was heading straight toward them.

"Heya! I was wondering if you know anything about these great legendary dragons we've been hearing about. They're supposed to be really big and awesome-looking, and I really, really wanna see them, so it'd be great if you could help us out!" he Melodious Nocturne finished with the friendliest smile he could manage, completely oblivious to the leers he was receiving.

One of the men broke into a large, toothy grin. "I dunno nothin' about these legendary dragons," he drawled, "but I know one dragon you could ride!" He and his drunken friends cackled inanely.

Demyx chuckled along with them, though he had no clue what it was about. Suddenly, the men's laughter was cut off, their leers changing into expressions of horror. One by one, they began screaming in pain.

Zexion quickly grabbed the blonde's hand and started dragging him out of the building, sparing the men under his illusion one last scathing glance before slamming the door behind them.

"What was that for?" Demyx pouted. "I was actually getting somewhere!"

The Schemer rolled his eyes. "Yes, you were, if allowing four drunken men to come on to you is your idea of 'getting somewhere'."

Demyx frowned. "Hey, they weren't - " Then, his eyes widened in sudden realization and he blushed furiously as his partner smirked and pulled him along.

"Exactly."

"B-but that's no reason to go all mind-screwy on them!" the younger Nobody sputtered indignantly.

Zexion stopped abruptly and pulled him close, leaning forward to speak in his ear. "Perhaps not," he whispered, "but you are mine, and I do not share." He turned back to the path just as suddenly, leaving the blushing blonde to follow in silence.

After a few minutes, Demyx spoke up. "Hey, Zex?"

He "hmm"-ed in acknowledgement.

"Thanks."

Nothing more was said.

* * *

Personally, I think the whole "Nobodies can't feel" thing is complete bullshit. Emotions don't come from the heart. As I recently learned from Kiisa, they come from this thingimajig in the brain called the amygdala, which I'm pretty sure they still have. Still, I see Zexy as a not-very-"romantic" person. He shows that he cares in his own way. And Demyx is just...Demyx.

**Review for cookies! **


	10. Chthonic

Okies, I am double-updating, and I realize that I am skipping a lot. Parental controls only give me time to get these up on LJ. If you want to read the other ones I have up, get the link from my profile. Sorry about this! Gommenassai! T.T

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**chthonic **\THONE-ik\, _adjective:  
_Dwelling in or under the earth; also, pertaining to the underworld

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Pairing: None.

Warnings: Kinda long. Longer than I'd usually write. But I based it off the actual in-game dialogue, give or take a few lines.

Summary: Vincent's perspective on being found.

Dedication: For Vincent Valentine, my constant companion and muse. For all your emo scariness, you're actually pretty fun to have around.

Disclaimer: Me does not own. These people not mine. Got it? Great.

* * *

There was no sense of time. It could have been years and years, or it could have been mere minutes since I had first begun my slumber. I say slumber, and yet it brought me no rest. Every moment of existance, waking or not, was a living nightmare. The demons raged inside me, screaming for bloodshed, and, every so often, one of them would force themselves to the surface, taking control of my body and slashing at the locked coffin door.

I had no desire to escape. Lucrecia had died in giving birth to a child that grew ever stronger as it sapped her strength, using the power of the Jenova cells. A child they had experimented on before it had even been given life. A child that would most certainly grow to be one of the most powerful humans alive. A child that could be mine. Lucrecia had died, and I was to blame. I couldn't stop her. This constant, blood-filled nightmare was my punishment. I endured the horror, the raging bloodlust, the voices, all for the smallest bit of redemption.

One day, there were other voices. The demons were obviously curious as well, since they had quieted enough for me to hear. I was surprised, to say the least. I knew that Hojo would have taken extensive measures to ensure tha I was never released.

"This is all?" The voice was high and feminine, with the small inclination to roll the L's halfway into R's that indicated Wutain orgins. "We fought that crazy, rainbow-colored thing just to find a crypt? There's no awesome treasure or hordes of materia or anything?"

"Shut up, Yuffie. Hojo obviously had _something _to hide here." A man's voice, commanding. Obviously the leader of the group.

"This one's locked. Hey, Cloud, you think you could break it open?" This voice was closer than the others. Another woman, older than the previous, but still young. There was a definite air of warmth and kindness about her, so much that it leaked into her voice. With a pang, I thought of Lucrecia. She had been the same...

There was a loud clanging sound. Someone must have been kicking the padlock. "Doesn't look too hard." It was the man again. "Looks like the thing's just been sitting here for ages."

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! Let me do it!" There was the feel of magic warming up.

"Wait, Yuffie, there might be something fragile in - !" A spell struck the side of the coffin, and my Turk instincts kicked in, causing me to kick the lid off and spring out of range, hand going to my gun as I assessed the three before me.

There was a Wutain teenage girl on my left holding a glowing Fire materia, her eyes wide with awe as she stared up at me. On my right was the other young, cinnamon-haired woman, grass green eyes displaying both shock and concern at the same time. Between the two females was a man with spiky blond hair and fierce blue eyes that glowed with mako, holding a huge sword protectively in front of him.

I calmed myself, but narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "...Never seen you before." My voice sounded strange to my own ears. "You must leave."

The man lowered his blade and frowned. "You were having a nightmare," he stated matter-of-factly.

The Wutain girl rolled her eyes. "Sleep in a place like this, and that'll happen to ya."

I stared at them. "Hmm...a nightmare...?" I was almost mocking in my words. If they only knew the truth...I looked away. "My long sleep has given me time to atone," I spoke softly, mostly to myself.

The man's (Cloud, was it?) frown deepened. "What are you saying?" he asked cautiously.

Turk instinct made me instantly protective of my secrets. I glared. "I have nothing to say to strangers. Get out." I paused, calming myself. These people meant no harm. They were only showing concern for my welfare, however strange that might have been. I tried to do the same. "This mansion is the beginning of your nightmare."

The leader's eyes became downcast, seeming to recall a bad memory. "You can say that again..." he said quietly.

This grabbed my attention. "What do you know?" I asked, trying not to show my curiosity.

He turned to the other two, who had yet to say anything. The woman on the right nodded. He then turned back around and spoke. "Like you said, this mansion is the beginning of a nightmare." He paused and shook his head. "No, it's not a dream, it's for real." He hesitated and took a deep breath. "Sephiroth has lost his mind. He found the secrets hidden in this mansion - "

"Sephiroth?!" The name struck like a lightning bolt. Sephiroth, dearest Lucrecia's son? Was it truly him?

My outburst seemed to surprise Cloud as well. "You know Sephiroth?!" we asked simultaneously. After a pause in which each of us assessed the other, I spoke. "You start first."

He turned to the rest of his party. The young woman nodded again, putting a hand on his shoulder in encouragement. He nodded back and started to speak. "Sephiroth came here five years ago to check on the reactor here. The monsters there caused him to question his humanity. He came here to this mansion and started reading all the files they had on him and Jenova." He paused for breath. "A week later, he burned the town and slaughtered almost all of the people here. I tried to stop him, and it was said that he died but..." Another breath. "Recently, he reappeared and killed off almost all the people in the ShinRa building, including President Shinra. He took the Jenova specimen from it's holding tank, too. He's trying to find the Promised Land, I think. We're trying to stop him." He looked back at the group again. After they had nodded in confirmation, he turned back saying, "That's how it is."

I contemplated their words. How old must Sephiroth be right now? I quickly summarized. "So Sephiroth found out he was created, five years ago? And about the Jenova Project?" I paused. Did he know about his mother, then? "He was missing, but has just recently appeared. He has taken many lives and is seeking the Promised Land."

Cloud nodded. "Now it's your turn."

I hesitated. I could tell them. I could tell them about Lucrecia, and about Hojo, and about my failure. Then, I realized: this was my fault as well. If I had stopped Lucrecia, if I had changed her mind, Sephiroth might have had a normal life. He would not be the madman he was now. He would not have destroyed so many lives with his actions if it were not for my failure. I shook my head. "Sorry...I cannot speak."

They all started. The young Wutain girl seemed less surprised. "Good," she said, "it was probably depressing anyway." If only she knew.

I addressed them, but, yet again, I spoke mostly to myself. "Hearing your stories has added upon me yet another sin. More nightmares shall come to me, more than I previously had." They seemed confused, but I didn't elaborate. "Now, please leave." I settled back inside the coffin and slammed it shut.

I heard whispers, but I didn't put in the effort to make them out. After a minute or two, someone started knocking repeatedly on the lid. I sighed and kicked it open again, sitting up and glaring. "You're still here." My tone was accusing.

The man's eyes were defiant. "At least tell us your name."

I hadn't expected that. After a moment's pause, I started. "Vincent Valentine. I was with...the ShinRa Department of Administrative Research, otherwise known as...the Turks."

They all started, each of them jerking into a defensive position. "The Turks?!"

I shook my head. "Formerly of the Turks. I have no affiliation with ShinRa now." And I never would again. "And you?"

They calmed. The Wutain girl responded first. "I'm Princess of Wutai, the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi!" she said, spinning around cheerfully. "Nice to meetcha!"

The other young woman smiled at her teammate's display before speaking. "Aerith Gainsborough," she introduced herself with a small smile. Another stab of pain raced through me. Lucrecia...

The leader spoke last. "Cloud Strife, formerly of SOLDIER."

I had guessed as much from the glow in his eyes, but I cocked an eyebrow. "You were also with ShinRa?" I thought about it before asking, figuring there was no harm in the question. "Then do you know Lucrecia?"

It was his turn to cock an eyebrow. "Who?"

I inwardly sighed. It really had been a long time then. "Lucrecia...the woman who gave birth to Sephiroth."

Cloud seemed even more confused. "Gave birth? But wasn't Jenova Sephiroth's mother?"

Was that what the child had been told all his life? He'd never known about the kind and loving woman that had loved him even as he sapped her strength away, who had cried for days when Hojo refused to allow her to ever see her son? I forced the thoughts away. "That isn't completely wrong, but just a theory. He is genetically related to her through her cells, but he was born from a beautiful lady. That lady was Lucrecia." I had already revealed this much to them, so I kept going. "She was an assistant to Professor Gast -" Aerith started at the name "- of the Jenova Project." I made no effort to hide the sigh this time. "Beautiful Lucrecia..." I whispered, barely audible to my own ears.

Cloud frowned. "A human experiment?"

I nodded. "There was no way to cancel the experiment. I couldn't stop her. That was my sin." I had already revealed much more than I'd thought I would, but there was no stopping now. "I let the one I loved, the one I respected most, face the worst."

Aerith frowned in concern. "So your atonement is to sleep? That's a little odd, isn't it? I'd try and do something, if it were me."

I took a long look at her. She looked back without fear, showing nothing but genuine compassion in her eyes. Compassion I didn't deserve. I laid back down and shut the coffin again, ignoring the incessant knocking. "Let me sleep..." I mumbled. After several minutes, I heard the footsteps retreat back into the hall, and I was left alone with my thoughts.

So Sephiroth was a killing madman now. Before I had gone to sleep, he had just been born, snatched away from his loving mother for tests that were undoubtedly painful. He must have suffered so much as a child at the hands of that mad scientist...With a jolt, I remembered Hojo. He was to blame. He had caused everything, all of this suffering. Aerith's words came back to me. _"I'd try and do something, if it were me." _If I could kill Hojo, if I could avenge her death, if I could avenge the suffering of her child, if I could get my own revenge, would that complete my atonement? Would that be my last step toward redemption? Cloud and the others were searching for Sephiroth. Hojo would undoubtedly try to find him as well. Would they eventually meet?

Without a second thought, I kicked open the coffin and rushed out the door, emerging just in time to see them heading for the stairs. "Wait!" I called. They stopped dead and turned around.

I caught up quickly. "If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

Cloud glanced at the others for an answer. They both shrugged. He turned back to me. "Dunno. But we're after him and Sephiroth, so I guess sooner or later."

I paused. Everything could change with this decision. I could go back to my coffin and sleep, redeeming myself by living through the nightmares filled with blood and death. Or I could go with them and find Hojo and avenge the suffering of Sephiroth, myself, and, most of all - "Lucrecia..." I didn't even realize I had spoken aloud until I noticed their expressions. I turned to them, determined. "All right, I've decided to go with you."

They hadn't expected that. Yuffie blinked and shouted, "Whoa, wait, _what?!_"

I ignored her outburst and chose my words. "Being a former Turk, I may be of help to you."

After turning to the others for their opinions, he nodded. "All right then. Sephiroth said to go North, past Mt. Nibel."

I nodded and followed. I didn't think about what would happen after the battle. I didn't think about the fact that we could all very well die. I didn't think about the past or the future. My only thought was that I once again had a purpose. I had a reason to live again.

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Man, that was long. My little sister's friends are starting to bitch at me, so I'll make this quick.

**Leave a review! Every time you don't, Vincent gets all emo and locks himself in the closet, leaving me with no inspiration except the really dark, depressing poetry that he shoves out under the door to keep me occupied. That means you guys get nothing but angsty shit like this. And you don't want that, do you?**


	11. Immolate

God, I chose the _worst day EVER _to start this again. Why? Because of the word, that's why. I made a commitment to write the first thing that came to mind when I read the word of the day, and, today at least, that means more angst. I'll have to write my death-to-Hojo fic right after this to cheer myself up. Gah, I hate you, gods of ! Now I have to write fucking _Nibelheim! _Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Sigh...well, no use putting this off.

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**immolate **\IM-uh-layt\, _transitive verb_:  
**1.** To sacrifice; to offer in sacrifice; to kill as a sacrificial victim.  
**2.** To kill or destroy, often by fire.

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**Pairing: **one-sided (at least _now _it is) SephirothxCloud

**Warnings: **Naughty words, as always. And angst. And maybe some angst. And did I mention the angst?

**Summary: **He was beautiful even then as he walked through the flames. (Cloud's POV)

**Dedication: **Who should I give this to...this'll be for Amarissia, I suppose, since she's also going to have to write Nibelheim. I don't know how I'll ever live with _Madness _gone. Honestly.

**Disclaimer: **IF I OWNED THESE PEOPLE, NIBELHEIM WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, DAMMIT! And do you really think that FFVII would be able to manage a T rating if I had my way? Didn't think so.

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The smell of burning...the stench of death...

I dashed outside, not bothering to put my helmet back on, staring around in shock.

The town, my town, my _home _was burning. Every building, save the ShinRa mansion, was in flames. Had a fire erupted? Where was the fire department? Small though it may have been, it was effective. It should be here! Everyone should be here! Where were the people?

Then, I saw them. Bodies littered everywhere. Were those...? It was! There was the owner of the store! And there was the mayor! And that over there was the photographer that had hounded us for the whole week! But why was there blood? If they had died in the blaze, then why were they bleeding?

I steeled myself and examined the general store owner's corpse. What I found hit me like a punch to the gut. Those were sword wounds! And the width of them, the way they were cut so cleanly, they could only have been caused by - !

I shook off any thoughts and raced toward my old home. Maybe I could get there in time. I _had _to get there in time!

I didn't. My mother lay dead on the ground. I almost gave up right there. I almost crumpled to the ground, almost started sobbing. I wanted nothing but to mourn for my mother, to hold her close and cry. And I would have, had someone not grabbed me and shoved me against the wall by my neck.

The first things I noticed were his eyes. I'd always loved them. They had been a beautiful, vibrant green. The green of mako, the green of life, energy, the green of mako. And they had been _warm_, no matter how icy his expression got. But not now. Now, the pools of green were like frozen pools of poison. They were _evil. _I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know why the town was burning, why the people had been slaughtered, I didn't know what he had read in the basement that made him this way, but I knew that this was not my lover. This was a monster. _This was not Sephiroth._

The monster leaned forward and hissed in my ear. "_Traitor._" My eyes widened, and I wanted to ask what I had done, why he had done this, but he threw me aside, and it was all I could do to stay upright and watch as he walked away toward the flames.

I felt ridiculously shallow for finding him desirable then, even after all he'd done. The fire caressed him, but didn't burn. His long hair rippled like streams of quicksilver. Even as he burned my home, he was beautiful. Even then, I loved him.

He turned back and his eyes met mine for a split second. For that small moment, he was himself again. For that small moment, there was sorrow and regret in his eyes. Then, he averted his eyes, and when he looked back up, he was the monster again.

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I couldn't find a good place to cut this off, and I wanted to do it as soon as possible, so that's the reason for the crappy ending. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go find Hojo and stab him to death a few times to cheer myself up.

**Just review! Please? I'm giving you death-to-Hojo right after I get this done, people!**


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